Resort to close for facelift

by ssellen

Shakira Sellen
Journalist

I moved to Mackay in 2011 and haven’t looked back since.
I’ve grown to enjoy the laidback Mackay lifestyle and all it has to offer.
Over the years I have also spent time visiting the Whitsundays and my favourite place to date would be Whitehaven Beach.
Being on the go all the time in a fast-paced job I also can’t go past a good cup of coffee.
When it comes to writing, I love to meet residents in the community and find about their life as I feel everyone has an interesting story to tell.

THE Whitsundays' BreakFree Long Island Resort will undergo a major revamp in a bid to tap into the growing Asian tourism market.

The plan, which includes 160 new accommodation units, increasing the total to 300, would be formally submitted to Whitsunday Regional Council's planning team, Mayor Jenny Whitney said.

Some upgrades already have begun and the resort will close completely at the end of this month.

Ocean Hotels and Tourism, which operates the resort, had not responded by deadline to questions regarding the number of staff made redundant as a result of the upgrade, or if they would continue their employment with the group's other holdings.

The fall in the Australian dollar had been a big factor behind the decision, a group spokesperson said.

"The outlook for the Whitsundays continues to strengthen, driven by the recent substantial fall in the Australian dollar and its projected effect of encouraging more Australians to holiday in Australia, as well as the effect of encouraging the continued growth of inbound markets, particularly from the Asian region," the spokesperson said.

The resort underwent a $30 million redevelopment by Contiki in the 1980s. The cost of the current renovations has not been revealed.

The spokesperson said the resort would reopen in 2016.

Whitsunday Marketing and Development Limited (WMDL) executive manager Jeff Aquilina said despite the resort's closure, the investment in the

product was a positive sign for the region.

"Aligning their product with the Asian market is a positive move," he said.

"The ongoing investment (in the region) reinforces that the region is continuing to develop."